Independence Bank offers many of the same kinds of services one would expect from a bank, but it identifies itself as a community-based institution, striving to support strong and vibrant local communities and reinvesting in the areas it serves. For Independence Bank, being a part of the community means more than simply writing checks here and there. The bank’s local branches have been known to take an active, hand-on role in helping those in the neighborhoods it serves.

Headquartered in Newport Beach, Independence Bank was founded in 2004 by a combination of bankers, entrepreneurs and business leaders who live and work in Orange County. The bank is active member of and participant in many community organizations, including the Kiwanis Club of Huntington Beach, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley and many of Orange County’s chambers of commerce.

In July, the bank’s Tustin Branch provided the venue for an annual Independence Day barbecue held by Santa Ana-based Women Helping Women/Men 2 Work, a non-profit organization that provides services to assist disadvantaged men, women and teens achieve economic self-sufficiency. Since its inception in 1993, the organization has served more than 30,000 job seekers.

Attendees of the barbecue were asked to bring in new and gently used women’s handbags, men’s shoes, interview-appropriate jewelry items and new, full-sized toiletry items to support low-income job seekers in Orange County.

Last spring, after thieves stole an electric bicycle belonging to Rhonda Migliorini, who had recently been named Rookie of the Year by the Fountain Valley Community Foundation, Independence Bank’s Fountain Valley branch served as the collection point for people wanting to contribute to a bike-replacement fund. In a short time, the Community Foundation was able to purchase a new bike for Migliorini, enabling her to resume her volunteer activities with proper transportation.

Among the locally focused organizations that have received financial support from the bank are Colette’s Children’s Home in Huntington Beach, which serves homeless for women and children; the Council on Aging Orange County, which promotes the independence, health and dignity of older adults; the Fiesta Association, a non-profit organization that produces the Swallows’ Day Parade in San Juan Capistrano; Orangewood Children’s Foundation in Santa Ana, which addresses the ongoing needs of children in the foster-care system; Second Harvest Food Bank, which works to eliminate hunger in Orange County; South Coast Community Services; Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s Orange County affiliate; the Huntington Beach Fire Association; the Huntington Beach Police Officer’s Association; and the University of California, Irvine, Program in Geriatrics.

The bank has also sponsored events of a more light-hearted nature, such as the Fountain Valley Community Foundation’s Mr. Fountain Valley Pageant, in which local businessmen vie for the title and the opportunity to raise money for local charities of their choosing. Independence Bank vice president Jeanne Hexem-Thomas conceived the idea for the event based on the Mr. Huntington Beach pageant and served as pageant director. The bank has also sponsored the more traditional Miss Tustin pageant.

As a local employer, Independence Bank strives to offer a positive work environment throughout its locations. The firm was among the 85 companies earning a spot on the Orange County Register’s Top Workplaces roster last year, receiving accolades from employees for maintaining a “family-like atmosphere.” offering flexibility and avoiding “bureaucratic hurdles usually found in a bank,” according to anonymous surveys conducted during the Top Workplaces selection process.

“Our employees are our most valuable asset here at Independence Bank,” said Don Solsby, senior vice president and director of business banking for the firm. “We are thrilled and honored that our employees value their association with the bank this way. That value translates through to every part of our business and service model for our customers. Bottom line, when we take good care of our employees, they take good care of our customers,”

As a full-service commercial bank, Independence Bank offers customized personal banking, business banking, and commercial-lending services. The bank has four offices located in Newport Beach, San Juan Capistrano, Fountain Valley and Tustin. Also offered are online banking tools, accessible from one’s home or office, or through mobile devices.

Bill Quinnan is a freelance writer who lives in Orange County. Readers can send e-mail to him at bquinnan@sbcglobal.net. Bill cannot provide job leads.